LOGISTICS
- DAY: Wednesday, March 11, 2026
- TIME: 6:30 pm
- ATTEND: Zoom or In-Person --- New Location!!!
- LOCATION: Faith United Methodist Church. 6810 Montrose Road. Rockville
- ZOOM: CLICK HERE when it is time to join the meeting
- LEARN - Mites and Mite Treatments
- WHO: Zac Lamas
SCHEDULE
| 6:30.pm.ET | In-Person & Zoom socializing | |
| 7:00.pm ET | Club Announcements / What's Up with The Bees? | |
| 7:15.pm ET | David Sultan "Split Tips I Learned at MSBA's Nucs and Splits Class" | |
| 7:30.pm ET | Presentation by Zac Lamas, "Mites and Mite Treatments" |
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTIONS
"Mites and Mite Treatments" - KEYNOTE by Zac Lamas
Varroa are incredible vectors of honey bee viruses, and beekeepers have to think of them more than just parasites in an alcohol wash. Their feeding behaviors drive viral transmission in all cohorts of bees within a colony. This talk explains the biology underlying your beekeeping season and management. The second half of the talk shows how Varroa drive transmission both vertically (from mom to babies) and horizontally (between siblings).
"Spring Splits - Lessons from the MSBA 'Nucs & Splits Class'"
David Sultan attended MSBA's "Nucs & Splits Class" and brings our club a few key takeaway tips. He’ll cover key definitions, management reasons for splitting, and his plans to use the 'Walk-Away Split' technique this year.
SPEAKER BIO
Zac's Bio
Zac Lamas has recently launched the Lamas Lab at UMBC. The lab studies hazards which impact honey bee health and cause colony loss. As a result Zac's main focus is on Varroa, viruses and pesticides. The lab also provides diagnostic services for regional beekeepers, ensuring stakeholders know in real time which pathogens are affecting their colonies.
VARROA: Varroa has complex biology. Previous research has shown Varroa parasitism is seasonal within a colony. They predominantly feed on drones early in the season. This results in low impact on colony health early in the season, and mites evading detection by the alcohol wash. However, later in the season they shift quickly to worker bees where they are highly mobile. This results in colonies being rapidly parasitized in a handful of days.
We are how weaponizing this information against Varroa, by designing new treatments and management practices. The goal is to lower Varroa’s impact on colony health. We believe that this assistance will help breeding programs develop an adaptive bee.
Zac Lamas purchased this -80℉ freezer (on sale!) using seed money from
MSBA's ongoing fundraiser for honey bee research.
David Sultan's Bio
- Lives in Chevy Chase, MD
- 3 kids in their 20s (empty nester); Daisy, Noah, Coby
- A dog-Ziggy
- Hobbies (native garden, Vegetable garden/woodworking, beekeeping)
- Education- Bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems (MIS); Master’s in Business Administration (MBA)
- 25 years of experience in Technology (product management, sales engineering, and professional services)
- 2 Hives going to 4
Colony Quips - Humor
RECORDING of Presentation
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